What You See
by BlackRosary
Summary: Akane's tired of having to fight for Ranma's affection. She is tired of being the weak one in their group. All she want's is for people to respect her as a martial artist and with a little help from a new friend her dream is within her grasp. RA
1. All the Tears I've Cried

**What You See**

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma if I did Ukyo would have fallen off a strategically placed cliff.

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Akane slammed her way down the cement pathway and out the front door of the Tendo Dojo and into the darkened streets. Raising a hand to her eyes she roughly wiped away the tears from her eyes. As par usual Ranma had been a big jerk and insulted her again.

She hadn't even done anything this time all she had asked was if he wanted some dinner. Which somehow caused him to start off on a crazed rant about how she was uncute and couldn't cook.

Feeling her eyes prick with unshed tears Akane started to walk a little faster, then into a jog, and finally she broke out into a full run. She had no idea where she was going; all she knew was that anywhere but home was good enough.

Due to her extensive training Akane had incredible endurance. She could run for hours and that's just what she did. She ran until the full moon reached the highest point in the sky. Resting her hands on her knees to catch her breath and, more importantly, figure out where she was.

Glancing around she notice she was in some sort of forest. Closing her eyes she relaxed slightly listening to the sound of the wind rustling through the trees. Suddenly her ears caught the sound of music. Turning she followed the haunting melody deeper into the forest.

As she entered a clearing she saw a pretty young girl not much older then herself sitting on a rock playing a flute. She obviously wasn't from around town. Her long brown hair was braided down her back and held with a small jade and gold clasp. Her clothes were foreign and strange but seemed to suit her. The breeze played with her hair choppy bangs as she sat with her eyes closed as she played, completely at ease with her surrounding.

As she watched a small hint of well practiced paranoia slipped into her mind. What was she thinking walking into a dark forest? A pretty foreign girl? She was most likely one of Ranma's stupid fiancées who was going to get rid of her. At the thought of Ranma Akane's eyes filled tears.

The girl meanwhile finished her song and turned to look at the person who had invaded her domain. She might have been angry with someone interrupting her music but as she saw the strange girl's tears her maternal instinct kicked in.

"Are you okay hun?" Akane looked up to see the stranger looking at her concern sparkling in her blue eyes. Maybe she wasn't an evil fiancée after all but she decided to be cautious anyway.

"Ya I'm fine" Akane replied hastily brushing her tears away. The strange girl cocked an eyebrow and smiled dryly. Akane was confused "What?"

The girl chuckled "Well for the most part people don't wander around in the forest late at night then start crying when they are fine."

Akane gave a bit of a watery smile. Although they had met under strange circumstances she liked this girl and felt like she was trustworthy. "Okay maybe I'm not so fine."

"Want to talk about it?" Asked the girl. Akane paused for a moment before nodding. "Well pull up some rock," the girl smiled as Akane sat on the rock "my name is Danni short for Danielle by the way." Akane grinned back "I'm Akane."

"So Akane" Danni asked curiously "Why were you so upset earlier?" this caused Akane to frown slightly "It all started a few months ago when my father told me and my two sisters that we were having visitors."

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"So you're telling me that his best friend dresses in a boys uniform and he has the nerve to call you a tomboy?" Danni asked incredulously. Akane nodded grimly

"And he refers to her as his cute fiancée and me as his uncute one." Danni rolled her eyes in disgust. "Don't get me started on his ego," Akane continued "if I hear one more time about how much better he is at martial arts I'm going to hurl."

"If he is so concerned about your martial arts skills then why doesn't he train you?" Danni asked disliking this Ranma fellow more and more by the minute.

"Him and my dad seem to think it's a waste of time since Ranma is going to inherit the martial arts dojo anyways." Akane clenched her fists at the unfairness of it. She had spent her whole life training to inherit the dojo just to have it usurped by some upstart jerk.

Danni frowned at her new friend's anger "That is a waste of talent and I really hate wastefulness." She murmured to herself.

Akane meanwhile looked up at the night sky and sighed. "I better get home before my dad has a fit. So you have my phone number and address?"

"Yup," Danni replied "and you have my cell number and the name of the hotel I'm staying at."

Akane nodded. "Danni I'm really glad I met you. It's nice to have a friend who I can trust." With that last statement and a quick wave she hurried off into the darkness back home.

Alone Danni slowly eased herself of the rock she was seated on and glanced up at the night sky. "I only pray you can forgive me Akane for what I'm going to do." And with the grace of a danced she silently disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

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Will Akane ever make up with Ranma? What is Danni going to do? Why am I asking so many rhetorical questions? Tune in next time for the answers to these and many more questions in the next chapter of What You See.


	2. Thank God For Flashbacks

Chapter 2: God Bless The Flashback

Disclaimer: Ya you know the drill I own nothing but this plot and Danni.

AN: By the way I got a flame disguised as a review so remember any flames disguised or otherwise will be used to roast marshmallows. If you review I will update faster if you don't I'll stop the story.

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An alarming shriek and several colorful expletives filtered though Akane's window along with the morning sunlight. Raising her head slightly she blinked before letting it fall back to the pillow with a thump. For a normal person screaming and cursing were something one would worry about but in the Tendo household it was a daily occurrence.

Dragging herself out of bed she pulled on one of the many summer dresses from her closet. Normally Akane would have dressed in her gi and gone to break some bricks like most mornings but she had an odd feeling that today was no normal morning. Hearing a clattering of dishes from below her Akane realized if she wanted any chance of having breakfast she would have to hurry.

Akane swept swiftly down the stairs and headed towards the kitchen. Plopping down in her normal seat she grabbed some food and started devouring it with more haste then usual. While she ate she silently thought of her new friend.

She hadn't been allowed to contact her because of the grounding placed upon her by her father. It had been a week since her little "walk" and her Father was still furious. His rant when she had gotten home had been epic.

It had started with a sobbing whimpering mess about how scared her was and how glad he was she was safe, he swiftly transitioned into a loud hysterical rant about where she had been and if she was alright, and after she had confirmed she was safe he had exploded into a "never go out alone at night again and you are so grounded" extravaganza.

The result of her little excursion had been a month long grounding with 2 weeks no phone and no going out after dark without a male "protector" as her father had so quaintly put it. The new rule had caused Akane to go super nova.

"What is this The Middle Ages?" She had ranted furiously. "I am almost an adult and you seem to think I need to be watched over like a child. I am a martial artist in my own right I can protect myself." The Tendo patriarch had averted his eyes he didn't want to admit the truth to his daughter fearing her wrath.

Fortunately for his Ranma did it for him. "Well maybe if you weren't so bad at fighting he might let you." Ranma had stated smugly not noticing the dangerous look in Akane's eye. "You are" he continued foolishly "the weakest out of all my fiancées. I mean you are the most macho so you'd think you would be the best fighter. But I guess…"

Ranma's sentence had been swiftly cut off by a face full of mallet. As he had flown thought the roof and into the sky he briefly wondered why he didn't keep his big mouth shut.

As Akane reminisced about the previous evening her family watched her worried for her sanity. Normally at this point in breakfast either she or Ranma would have picked a fight which would have resulted in several insults and ended with Akane either upsetting the table to use as a weapon or punching Ranma through the roof.

Ranma had already tried to pick a fight 3 times but instead of reacting Akane had continued to placidly eat her breakfast without a reaction. As she finished her meal and started to clear away her dishes Ranma bucked up his courage and tried to make one last go of it. "I'm bored," he said shakily as Akane headed out of the kitchen "I think I'll go visit one of my cute fiancés. Isn't that a great idea Akane?" Tensing his body Ranma waited for the explosive reaction.

Hearing her name Akane jerked out of her thoughts and turned to the speaker. She really hadn't been paying attention to a word he had said. Placidly she smiled and replied "That's nice Ranma." And with that she proceeded up to her room.

After she left the silence was deafening. The occupants of the room were a frozen tableau of horror. Nabiki sat wide eyed chopsticks frozen halfway to her mouth. Kasumi who had been pouring a drink for her father didn't seem to notice that the cup had been long ago filled and was now spilling all over the table. Both Mr. Tendo and Mr. Saotome face faulted and were twitching on the ground. Ranma on the other hand just sat there doing a wonderful impression of a strangled fish.

"What the hell was that?" Nabiki murmured breaking the silence. Ranma's jaw shut with an audible click. He really had no idea but he had the feeling it didn't bode well it didn't bode well at all.

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AN: Sorry had to get the boring and kinda short but necessary in-between part out of the way. The next chapter will be far actionier. So review or I will never update again. Ta


	3. And You Are?

**And You Are?**

Disclaimer: I don't own jack so no sueing.

AN: I just realized I have barely described Danni at all I believe that should be remedied so please bear with me.

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As the normal Saturday morning havoc reigned in the Tendo residence a figure stood just outside the gate ready to take the Tendo house to a whole new level of weird. The figure smiled in pure anticipation. The smile was so startling a nearby mother grabbed her child by the hand and quickly walked off mumbling that she should have taken her mothers advice and moved to America when she had the chance, the freakiest thing they had was Marilyn Manson.

The front door of the Tendo house slid open and Kasumi stepped out to sweep the front walkway. It didn't really need sweeping but Kasumi often did unnecessary things. Out of the corner of her eye Kasumi noticed a teenage girl standing outside the front gate. "Oh hello," Kasumi smiled warmly "Are you looking for someone?"

The girl's unnerving smile grew even larger. "Why yes in fact I am." The strange girl shuffled around in her purse for a moment before pulling out a small card. "I am looking for a Soun Tendo."

Kasumi smiled cordially "Right this way." She motioned towards the house not knowing what she had just set in motion.

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Soun Tendo sat silently on the porch staring at the strange girl standing calmly on the grass in front of him. The stranger had requested that his entire household be present before she divulged her news and he had sent Kasumi to collect the rest of the family.

She stood silently giving of a view of her startling 5'5 self. She was unnervingly tall for a girl but she wasn't the normally wispy form of someone her size. She had a solid look to her, the curves of her body were evident but not what one would call voluptuous or chesty. To be honest her body wasn't anything truly special but it was the way she held herself which made her stand out, like she had complete confidence. There was something else about her that Soun couldn't place and worried him greatly.

The door slid opened to reveal Genma Saotome in panda form along with Nabiki reading a magazine of some sort. Nabiki sat down, glancing briefly at the girl before pretending ignore her in favor of her magazine. Instead of reading though Nabiki's mind was whirling, it was nothing new to have strange people show up at the house unannounced but there was something odd about this one.

She was dressed in a way that showed she was foreign to Japan, possibly American. It was a warm day so she was wearing a tight forest green t-shirt. Splashed across the front in messy black letters were the words "Don't piss me off! I'm running out of places to hide the bodies." Her black pants were baggy and comfortable looking; they were made of a sturdy material but looked like they had been through a lot of wear and tear. On her feet were a pair of shiny thick soled leather boots that only added to her already impressive height.

Genma sat down next to Soun and held up a sign that said "Who's she?" Soun shrugged in return and settled back into the stifling silence.

The sound of loud arguing and insults heralded Akane and Ranma's entrance long before the door opened. As the door slid open and the two shouting teens noticed the visitor their bickering voices died in their respective throats.

Ranma had traveled a lot in his childhood (not like he had a choice) and had thereby seen many different type of people. This girl was like nothing he had ever seen before. She was pretty in an exotic way. He might even have been attracted to her if not for her "look at me wrong and I'll kick your ass" aura and the cold raised eyebrow look she was giving him.

At their noisy entrance the girl had turned to see the source giving a full view. The first thing Ranma had thought was 'Holy crap that girl is tall' and she was. Ranma guessed she was about his height if not taller.

She stood hand of her hip as if waiting for something a pair of dark sunglasses sat low on her nose giving a view of her blue green eyes. They were slanted upwards slightly at the ends and were rimmed by long lashes and a thick coat of black eye liner but they held some sort of impatience hidden barely bellow the surface that made Ranma wonder why she was really at his home.

The strangest part of her wasn't her height or her eyes in fact it was her hair. As far back as Ranma could remember he had always seen people with smooth straight hair. Even on his travels he had never see hair like this girls it was crazy. Her floppy choppy bangs hung messily over her eyes and her long brown hair hung wildly down her back looking for all the world like a lion's mane. The only item attempting to control the mass was an archaic looking comb. The design was a circle of leather with three different feathers sticking out stiffly, several strands of beads hung down sparkling as they merged with the wild hair. Ranma shivered, imprinted on the leather circle was some sort of black feline paw print and not a small one.

Ranma's thoughts came to a screeching halt when he was deafened by a piercing scream originating from beside him. Clutching his ears he stared awestruck as Akane raced towards the strange girl with a resounding scream of "Danni!" and dove at the girl throwing both arms around her.

Ranma stared as the girl, Danni's; cold gaze was moved from him to the girl currently wrapped around her neck. Her face morphed into a soft genuine smile as she started to hug Akane back with just as much enthusiasm.

As she unwrapped herself from her new friend Akane wondered briefly why she had done something as out of character as running like a maniac and glomping a guest like a deranged fan girl. All she knew is that she was really happy Danni was there.

"Why don't you sit down Akane and let the girl introduce herself?" Soun Tendo said smiling gently at his daughter. It was the first time he had seem her so happy in along time.

As Akane sat down beside Ranma Danni took her place in front of the family. "My name is Danni I am 18 years old and I came to Japan only recently from Canada eh." Seeing the confused looks on the faces before her she laughed. "It's the country above America, same language less guns. I have traveled all over the world though searching for potential."

The family nodded in understanding but Akane was still confused. "That's nice Danni but it doesn't answer why you're here?"

Danni got a smiled mysteriously and bowed deeply. "I'm here to challenge the Tendo Dojo of course."

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Sorry for the long description well it's all over now so I can move on with the story. Sorry about all the American jokes. BTW the comb is actually important so remember it.


	4. To Act in Haste

**To Act In Haste**

AN: I would like to thank all those who reviewed it totally made my day. Sorry I took so long to update I got distracted…again. By the way in this chapter Danni is going to be kinda harsh to Ranma it is necessary though. It's finally what you have all been waiting for THE FIGHT BETWEEN DANNI AND RANMA. Who will win? Read and find out.

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Ranma stared gob smacked at his apparent opponent as she stretched in the far corner of the dojo. Shortly after she had made her challenge they had been whisked off by the over-excited Tendo patriarch. It had apparently been far too long since the Tendo Dojo had its last "official" challenge, according to Soun at least.

Normally opponents just burst through walls and attacked on a whim or kidnapped someone so "official challenges" were few and far between. The lack of rubble and chloroform, though refreshing, was defiantly weirding Ranma out. She didn't follow any of the protocol of his previous challenges where his often enraged adversary would scream out the grievances they felt Ranma had caused them then screech something about regaining their honor.

This girl didn't seem to have anything against him or even know him that well, even though she had been giving him looks that would melt steel since he first came into her line of vision. Shaking his head, Ranma cleared his of all trivial thoughts and began his own stretches.

Glancing at Ranma's doomed foe Nabiki smirked. She knew an opportunity when she saw it.

"Hey Danni?" She said slinking up to the tall girl like a lioness on the prowl. "Have you ever participated in a Japanese challenge before?" Danni paused as she held her leg over her head above her head in a startling manner.

"No," she answered contemplatively, "this is my first." She smiled brightly revealing her sharp white canines in a friendly but accidentally intimidating manner.

"Well here in Japan it is common to wager something." Danni lowered her leg and stared at the short brunette with the look of a child hearing a bedtime story.

"Really?" She whispered her voice full of awe. Nabiki nodded, Kami this girl was easy. "Well," Danni tilted her head to the side, "all I have on me that is of any value is this."

Rummaging around in a knapsack that seemingly appeared out of nowhere Danni pulled out a large crystal the size of a grapefruit.

Nabiki almost choked. Grasping the sparkling gem in her hands she turned it over and around inspecting it from all angles. "This is an honest to goodness diamond." She murmured in awe, "It must be worth a fortune." Danni smiled innocently at the look on Nabiki's face.

"If Ranma wins I'll give that as forfeit," Danni's eyes sparked mischievously, "but what if I win?" Nabiki was so enthralled by the fortune she held in her hands she wasn't really paying attention.

"Anything." Nabiki murmured her eyes were no longer focused as though she was in some sort of trance.

"Anything?" Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear Danni reached out with her other hand, grasping the jewel she shoved it back into her bag in one fluid motion. Nabiki's eyes flashed back into focus and she looked sharply at Danni's smiling face. "Sound's like a deal."

Reaching into her bag once more Danni pulled out a small sheathed knife. In one graceful movement she drew the blade across the tip of her middle finger creating a paper cut like mark. Holding out the knife she looked expectantly at Nabiki, after a split second Nabiki realized what she was supposed to do.

Hesitantly taking the knife handle first Nabiki let it hover over her finger briefly before carefully nicking it. Danni silently held out her hand, her palm facing the other girl. Quickly Nabiki mimicked the action, as their fingers tips met Danni intoned softly.

"A blood oath has been given. I, Danielle Swift of the Panther Tribe, do so swear on my honor as a warrior to uphold promise in both word and deed. Do you, Nabiki Tendo representative of the Houses of Tendo and Saotome, on your families' honor agree to the same terms?"

Nabiki looked at Danni's bag then at Danni.

"I do"

"So it is done. We two on our honor do swear." Drawing her hand back Danni's face morphed back into an innocent smile. "Well now we're done. I think my opponent is getting impatient." With a jaunty wink Danni walked over to her bag again.

Pulling out a pair of fingerless black leather and matching armguards Danni equipped for a moment before sauntering casually over to where Ranma was waiting. For a split second Nabiki couldn't even move, quickly gathering up the remains of her shattered facade she returned to the rest of her family to watch the fight. Mr. Tendo leaned over and whispered softly in his middle daughter's ear.

"What was that all about?"

Nabiki shook her head, "It was nothing," but looking over at the grinning girl she felt for the first time maybe her transaction was not the best idea, "Ranma better win though." Mr. Tendo looked at Nabiki before turning his glance ahead once more, he hoped so too.

While the whole oath incident was going on with his opponent Ranma had ceases stretching and had moved on to tormenting his fiancée. He really needs a hobby.

"I'm sorry Akane," his face held a fake apologetic look; "I'm going to have to beat up one of your only friends."

Poor Ranma, every time he looked at Danni he got this chill and the way she was so close to Akane. Well it just wasn't right. His pitiful teenage male brain was incapable of expressing his true feelings of concern towards the person he had come to think of as his best friend.

Akane, unfortunately, was not aware of the truly bizarre workings of the male teenage brain. So in her typical fashion she expressed her feelings of hurt and frustration by continuing the argument further.

"At least I HAVE a friend that hasn't tried to kill me on multiple occasions."

"Maybe if you were a better martial artist you would. Obviously this girl doesn't see you as a threat that's why she challenged a real fighter like me."

Like a spectator at a tennis match Danni watched them bicker back and forth. Finally she stepped between the holding up both her hands. Honestly they were acting like children and frankly their arguments made no sense.

"That is quite enough," she stated shortly silencing the pairs cries of 'it was his/her fault', "Ranma I challenged the Tendo Dojo not specifically you, but Akane truly I don't make a habit of challenging friends to serious combat." Glancing at them both sharply she lowered her hands and continued with her hands on her hips and an amused smile on her face. "Now can we please do this thing before I die of old age?"

Embarrassed Akane joined her family of the sidelines blushing at the scolding she had just received. Ranma and Danni took their places in the middle of the dojo facing each other.

Danni raised herself up to her full impressive height. "As the challenged you have the right to decide the weapons." Ranma rolled his eyes at her formality.

"Bare handed combat." He stated arrogantly. Though tall she was still only a girl without weapons there was no way she could beat him.

"Fine," Danni nodded calmly, "as the challenger I reserve the right to make the rules. I think modified Fight Club rules will be fine for this." Seeing Ranma's confused look she clarified, "Rule one after this battle is over it will NEVER be mentioned to any person outside this room, rule two if someone says 'stop', goes limp, or taps out the fight is over no questions asked, rule three only two people to a fight, rule four one fight at a time, rule five fights will go on as long as they have to." Danni paused briefly, "Well rule six is normally no shirts, no shoes but I guess we will have to forgo that one for…obvious reasons. Well that's it. Do you Ranma Saotome agree to these terms?"

"Whatever gets this over with quickest is alright with me." Ranma was not really one for rules and all this talking was making him antsy. Danni graced him with an amused look.

"Have you never heard the saying 'Act in haste, repent in leisure'?" At this point Ranma was steaming he just wanted to fight and he was getting a History lesson.

"Look you were the one who wanted to fight me. So are we going to do that or do you want to continue contemplating the meaning of life?"

Danni bowed deeply amusement never leaving her eyes. "As you wish, let us begin."

Mr. Saotome sounded a large gong signaling beginning the battle. Ranma automatically dropped into a fighting stance while Danni remained in her relaxed position. Minutes passed as neither opponent made a move. Normally Ranma would wait for his opponent to make the first move but frankly he was impatient to get the fight over with.

He charged at his opponent intent on making her reveal her defensive abilities. Instead of blocking his sloppy punches though Danni merely dodged lazily out of the way.

Realizing maybe there was more to her then he first thought Ranma bounced backwards out of range to rethink his strategy. Normally his opponent would have given away some sort of flaw at this point but Danni had given away nothing. She just stood there arms loosely at her sides and that strange smile on her face.

Once more Ranma rushed towards Danni unleashing his Chestnuts Roasting over an Open Fire Fist Technique. Punch after punch he threw but again just like the first time Danni merely dodged them as if they were nothing. The more punches he threw the more tired Ranma became.

Eventually he drew back panting. Kami that girl was fast. She had yet to go on the offensive so Ranma still had no idea what she was capable of.

'She obviously has speed going for her but it looks like she hasn't got much attack strength,' Ranma concluded. 'If I can draw her into attacking me and land one hit I should be able to take her out.'

"So you can run away good but can you actually fight?" Ranma taunted. "Come on hit me if you dare."

Danni just smiled, "As you wish." And with an intense burst of speed she dashed at his surprised form.

Before Ranma could register what had just happened Danni was already in his face. Preparing himself for a punch Ranma was surprised when one of her long legs appeared out of nowhere tripping him. Taking advantage of his shock and unbalanced stance Danni grabbed him by the wrist and tossed his like a rag doll. Sending him flying into the far wall with a nasty crunch.

Rolling back into a crouching stance Ranma internally groaned in pain. Taking inventory he was relieved to find that he hadn't broken anything on impact. Although he was in a substantial amount of pain Ranma couldn't help but smirk. Now at least he knew how to defeat his opponent.

Dashing at his opponent they traded punched and kicks until Ranma saw an opening and made a desperate dive at Danni's feet. Jumping into the air Danni avoided it causing Ranma to crash to the floor. She flipped midair flying at Ranma with a downwards kick.

That was what Ranma had been waiting for. Raising his leg he dealt a shattering blow to Danni's midsection using the downward force of her attack to his advantage.

This time Danni was sent flying. Crashing into the same wall as Ranma she raised herself into the sitting position. For a moment she just sat there silent then her shoulders started shaking. For a split second Ranma was worried she was crying but was both relived and insulted to find when she raised her head that she was laughing.

"Awe man," she chuckled rubbing her stomach, "that was fricken' awesome. I guess I'll have to get serious."

Reaching down she swiftly unbuckled her boots and slipped them off along with her socks. Grasping her armguards she unclasped them letting them fall to the floor with a crash. Ranma and the audience stared in shock at the crater in the floorboards left by the leather accessories.

"Weighted…" Mr. Tendo murmured in awe.

Danni shook out her shoulders, "Let's get this party started." She cried excitedly.

Ranma shook himself out of his shocked state and cautiously took his fighting stance. Just when he thought he knew how to beat her Danni came out with something that made all his previous thought on her fighting style irrelevant. And now once again he was in the dark and frankly he didn't like it.

The moves he always used were useless. She dodged all his kicks and punches and low without the weights slowing her down she was probably even faster. He couldn't even use his dragon's strike because that would involve Danni being warm and it looked like she wasn't even breaking a sweat yet.

Using his chi blasts looked like his only hope but he would need her to stand still long enough to hit her. One final time Ranma charged at her he threw a hard kick attempting to his Danni in the stomach again. This time she grabbed his ankle and vaulted over it before throwing him to the floor again.

This game of cat and mouse went of for a while until Ranma finally cornered Danni. Quickly he drew all his chi into a ball and prepared to let it loose.

"What the hell are you doing?" Danni cried angrily "If you do that you'll hit your family." Ranma was so excited about finally winning he didn't notice Danni was standing in front of the Tendos and his father.

So immerse was he in his victory that he didn't hear Danni's cry. Suddenly and without waning Danni's face transformed into a look of pure fury. In one smooth movement she cart wheeled and flipped over to Ranma. Grabbing his wrist as she swirled over his head, she was just in time for the chi ball to be sent flying through the roof instead of frying the Tendos. Gripping both Ranma's arms tightly behind his back with one hand Danni sharply struck Ranma in the neck several times with the other causing him to collapse to the floor.

Just before he lost consciousness Ranma murmured, "We're not done yet."

Lucky for him he missed the look of complete fury Danni gave him.

"Oh yes, yes we are." She whispered harshly at his unconscious body.

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Fin

AN: See kinda harsh but I repeat it is necessary. Also sorry about the ending but this darn chapter is like over 2500 word so I had to cut it a bit short. Remember the more reviews the quicker the update and you all wanna know what Danni will ask for right?


	5. In Which Ranma and Danni Narrowly Escape

**In Which Ranma and Danni Narrowly Escape Having A Moment **

Disclaimer: I own a brand new stick of gum and nothing else.

AN: This chapter will be a little shorter then the last because the other one was too long. Also thank you for the reviews but please read the ANs I don't write them for my own health. I will state again for those of you that were not paying attention before. THERE IS A REASON FOR RANMA'S CARELESSNESS IN THE LAST CHAPTER IT WAS NOT JUST RANDOM RANMA BASHING! Thank you and enjoy the story.

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Ranma sat quietly on the roof; the only sounds to disturb him were several severely tone deaf birds and the muted noise of the Tendos below. Ever since he had awoken on the futon in his room Ranma had been avoiding any of the house's other occupants. The roof seemed like the best place. The warm afternoon sun beat down on his face. Ranma didn't care though, his only thoughts were on the fight he had just had, correction the fight he had just lost.

Normally that would have been enough to send him into a royal fit but now it just didn't seem to matter. All he could think about was Danni's eyes. The way she had just looked at him just before he had blacked out, like he was a piece of garbage.

Ranma could feel the bile rise in his throat. What if he had actually hit them? The Tendos were like his family and Ranma's father WAS his family no matter how much of a jerk he was. He had put them in danger with his careless actions.

"What the hell was I thinking?" He shouted angrily at the heavens causing the off key bird to scatter. "I am SO stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid Ranma." With every stupid Ranma smacked himself hard in the forehead.

He was so deep in self-hatred Ranma almost missed the sound of someone clearing their throat behind him. On the far corner of the roof Danni stood quietly, an odd look on her face.

'She's probably come to yell at me about how stupid I am,' Ranma thought darkly, 'not that I don't deserve it.'

Instead on yelling Danni just walked over to the edge of the roof where Ranma was sitting. Lowering herself gracefully down beside him Danni let her long legs dangle over the side as she watched the deceptively cheery blue sky. Kicking her feet back and forth an awkward silence slowly stretched between them.

Ranma was sorely tempted to break the bizarre quiet but as he tried to think up something intelligent to say Danni sighed and broke it for him.

"You shouldn't be so hard on your self." She said quietly. Ranma was shocked. Was this girl who Ranma was sure hated him giving him a way out?

'She's wrong though,' Ranma though. "I'm not being nearly hard enough on myself," Ranma started he hadn't actually meant to say that aloud. "You don't need to try to make excuses for me."

At this Danni turned sharply and glared at him her anger clear on her face. Closing her eyes she counted to ten before continuing. When Danni opened her eyes the anger had been replaced by mild amusement.

"Don't worry," she said dryly, "I am not making excuses for you." 'Like I would.' "I'm just commenting on your battle system."

"My what?" A cool breeze blew across the roof and Danni couldn't help but take pleasure in the completely confused look on Ranma's face.

"Your battle system, the system in which you battle. The title is pretty self explanatory." She stated wryly. "Now tell me, where do the large majority of your battles take place?"

Ranma had to think for a moment. "Well," he said slowly slightly confused by the random question, "usually I battle outside in forests or on top of buildings."

"Thought so, that is why, as hard as it is, I'm saying it is not really your fault you almost char broiled innocent bystanders." Ranma winced at her choice of words but Danni continued on undaunted.

"I could tell from the way you battled that you weren't used to fighting skilled opponents in contained areas. As every martial artist knows if you're going to use such dangerous attacks you can't do it in a closed area." She paused and made a face, "As much as I hate to admit it you are actually a good fighter, very strong and very clever. Even tacitly you are defiantly up there" Ranma beamed at the praise but Danni continued on making his face fall.

"You don't think beyond the battle though you are completely unaware of your surroundings which is dangerous not only for the people around you but also for yourself. It makes it easy to catch you off guard. You are very lucky you haven't really hurt someone yet." Danni took a breath causing Ranma to wince. He squared his shoulders preparing himself for a further tongue lashing but once again Danni surprised him.

"But as I said you're good, you learn from your mistakes and I think you'll learn from this one. Every person is the world screws up at one point or another. So like I told you don't be too hard on yourself." To avoid any unnecessary and frankly awkward bonding moments Danni quickly shoved herself off the ledge and took off towards the Dojo.

"By the way," she shouted over her shoulder, "Everyone is to meet in the dojo in about 2 minutes. You better hurry up."

Ranma stared at the tall girl's retreating back. 'Did we just have a moment? Oh ew.' Maybe Danni wasn't AS bad as she seemed. Well honestly no one could be as bad a Danni seemed, at least in Ranma's eyes. Danni was right though Ranma concluded; he needed to focus more if he wanted to make sure nothing like this morning EVER happened again.

Realizing he had been lost in thought for about 5 minutes Ranma followed Danni's lead and took off for the Dojo. The Entire household and Danni were sitting cross-legged as Ranma came in. as he took his place Danni started speaking.

"Now that we are all here," she glared at Ranma but he noticed it didn't hold nearly as much malice as it did before, "I would like to collect my wager. As you may or may not know Nabiki Tendo on behalf of the Tendo family made a blood wager with me that Ranma would win our fight. I bet my diamond and in return she bet one limitless wish of my choosing."

The entire family including the Saotome's turned in one synchronized movement and stared at Nabiki with faces ranging from confusion to horror to terror. She returned all their looks with an apathetic one of her own. Inside she was wigging out, this was going to end badly she just knew it.

Mr. Tendo let out a tired sigh after this he was officially banning any sort of gambling in his house it always ended up causing trouble.

"So what do you want?" He asked bluntly. "No wait let me guess."

'Obviously this isn't the first time this has happened.' Danni concluded, 'God this family is bizarre.'

"Do you want the Dojo?" Danni shook her head.

"A large sum of money?" Danni shook her head again.

"Ranma's hand in marriage?" Ranma shouted and indignant "Hey" and Danni looked like she was about to hurl. Mr. Tendo was at a loss those were the three most common things people asked for.

"What then?" He concluded severely confused. Outside the three previously mentioned things the Tendo's didn't actually have much of value.

Danni shrugged mildly, "I, Danni Swift, do so claim as my prize … Akane Tendo."

And for a moment there was silence.

……………………………..

AN: And just beyond the plot twist is a cliff to hang from. If you review I will update quickly and I'm sure you all want to know what Danni means.

TTFN .


	6. I Choose You

**I Choose You**

AN: I am so sorry it took so long to update. I have just finished my exams and projects so I can finally get back to writing. This one is kinda short because for all those who have ever had an essay or culminating task they know that after they are finished you don't have one ounce of creativity left in you. Now that it's summer though I will finally be able to work on this story more. I thank you for your patience.

……………………………………….

Mr. Tendo was the first to speak his voice high pitched with panic. "I'm sorry," He barely managed to shill, "but I cannot approve such a union. A marriage between two women will not produce heirs and is simply not good for the Dojo."

Upon hearing his stuttered declaration Danni face-faulted but before she could get even a word out Ranma was already on his feet and shouting.

"Akane is MY fiancée you can't have her." He possessively stood in front of the blushing Akane growling slightly.

Kasumi merely placed a hand on her cheek and murmured "Oh Dear."

Nabiki on the other hand was busy making notes. "This will be an awesome photo opportunity. Two young maidens in love, this angle will sell like hot cakes especially to Kuno. If I can get some photos I'll make a fortune."

Mr. Saotome just lay on his large panda back still twitching with shock. Danni jumped to her feet tired of the ridiculous situation.

"Not like THAT!" She shouted horrified at the turn this strange conversation had taken. "I want to train Akane, not marry her, TRAIN HER!"

Collectively the household let out a sigh of relief and Danni briefly wondered if she was making a horrible horrible mistake.

"Well if that's all you want," Mr. Tendo responded calmly, "then you are more then welcome. Unfortunately we have no spare rooms so you will have to stay with Akane or find somewhere else." Mr. Tendo was unconcerned this girl would see the strangeness of his house and be gone in a week tops.

Danni returned to her cross-legged sitting position. This was going to be hard, "While I appreciate your generous offer," Danni said carefully, "I don't intend to train Akane here in Japan I'm going to take her with me."

A feeling of foreboding ran up Mr. Tendo's spine, "I'm sorry but I can't allow you to do that. Ranma and Akane are engaged and I don't think that he will allow her to go."

Danni closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Opening her eyes she looked at Akane's visage her heart bled at the defeated look on her new friends face. Danni put on a cheery smile to hide her frustration.

'Remember girl,' Danni thought trying to maintain her composure, 'different generation, different country. He is only doing what he thinks is best. CALM is good.'

"I'm afraid that is not an option," Suoh was ever so slightly terrified by the look on Danni's face. The smile was there but it didn't reach her eyes, he was almost afraid to ask.

"And why not?" It was no longer Mr. Tendo speaking but Ranma a furious look on his face, "You have no right to take Akane against her will. You'll have to go through me first."

Danni rubbed the bridge of her nose, she did not feel like fighting this lunkhead again. She could feel a headache coming on but still she maintained her composure.

"Actually I have every right in the world don't I …Nabiki?"

Simultaneously every head in the room turned to stare at Nabiki. Had she been a lesser person she would have started quaking in her boots but since it was Nabiki all anyone got was a cold glare. For a moment no one spoke until Nabiki sighed, her shoulders slumped.

"I made a blood pact with her on behalf of the Tendo family," Ranma went to open his mouth but Nabiki cut him off, "and the Saotome family before you ask Ranma. The deal was that if Ranma lost Danni would get anything she wished."

Nabiki lowered her head. This was the first time she had truly screwed up. Everyone though she was some kind of ice queen with no feelings that only took care of herself, but who did they think protected the family from going bankrupt. When her father was depressed from their mother's death Nabiki was the one who made sure the family had the money to survive.

Even now Nabiki sold photos and blackmailed not only for her own profit but o also ensure that the Tendo House and Dojo could be repaired every time one of Ranma's psycho opponent/fiancée's destroyed it. Where else would the money come from considering no one in the house actually worked except her father and even he only started giving martial arts lessons again recently?

"What will happen if we don't agree and keep Akane here?" Suoh asked cautiously.

Danni leaned back on her elbows and stared passively at the ceiling. "Well if I remember my traditions correctly to break a blood oath will result in the breaker i.e. Nabiki to suffer a painful death by way of her blood boiling in her veins, boils to sprout up all over her body, and her brain melting out her ears."

Suoh Tendo turned pale, obviously sorry he asked. Ranma on the other hand jumped to his feet his fist shaking at his sides. "Fine I challenge you to a battle if I win I…I mean WE get Akane back."

Still leaning back Danni replied passively. "I decline your challenge," glancing up at Ranma's shocked face she continued, "You forgot I could do that didn't you? Frankly you have nothing else I want. Now," Danni stood up and dusted off her pants, "I must be off, so much time and so little to do and all that. Akane," the girl started this was the first time she had been spoken to directly, "I'll be back to pick you up in about two hours so you should be ready to go by then. Pack only the essentials because we are going to be on the move."

Stopping only to retrieve her bag Danni swept out of the room without another word. The Tendo's sat silently unsure of how to proceed.

"What are we going to do now?" Mr. Tendo sighed he really didn't want to give his daughter over to a stranger.

"What else can we do?" All eyes turned to Akane as she stared blankly at the wall. "You heard her if I don't go Nabiki will die." Ranma rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably.

"Maybe she was lying?"

"Do you really want to risk that?" Akane's voice cracked and the room went silent, "I thought not. I'm going to pack."

Stiffly the girl stood and marched out of the room leaving its other occupants in morbid silence.

………………………………..

I would like to make a public thank you to Xx izzy-chan xX for her pm it totally made my day. Also for all those who review creative criticism or whatever else I really appreciate the reviews it makes me want to keep writing even if it is only one or two words.

I'm pretty excited about the next chapter because a lot of stuff will be explained so TTFN and keep watching for my next chapter.


	7. Where Angels Fear To Tread

Where Angels Fear To Tread

Disclaimer: I don't own Tic Tacs, well I own Tic Tacs but not the company.

I'm back and don't really feel like a long authors note. I thank everyone who reviewed. Every time I read one I feel really happy.

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Leaving the Tendo house Danni couldn't keep the small smile from her face, there was nothing in the world she loved more than making mischief.

'I only hope that Akane won't stay mad at me,' She thought gloomily, her smile dropping from her face. 'Oh well, no use worrying about it now I've got a few things left on my list before we leave.'

Reaching into her bag she pulled out a small leather-bound notebook. Flipping through it she finally found the one she was looking for.

'Let's see, Ranma and the Tendos? Check. Next on the list is…Shampoo and Cologne. This is just too easy.'

Closing the book with a snap Danni sauntered down the street laughing manically.

………………………………………………………………

Back at the Tendo residence a tense silence gripped the household. Akane had rushed up to her room as soon as Danni left and was attempting to pack her suit case while not bursting into tears. For the first time in her life she was leaving her childhood home, with no guarantee that she would return.

She felt utterly alone and helpless, there wasn't even P-Chan to console her.

'Why? Why is this happening to me?' She asked as silent tears rolled down her cheeks. Staring down at the half packed suitcase beneath her, she couldn't help but feel her chest clench.

'_But isn't this what you always wanted?'_ A small treasonous voice whispered in the back of her mind. _'Think about it you finally have the opportunity to prove that you're not just Ranma's cheerleader, to finally get some power of you own. This girl BEAT Ranma, easily, think of how much she could teach you._'

'But what about my family? I'll have to leave them to go Kami knows where and I don't know when I'll be coming back.' Replied Akane hysterically.

'_Oh don't be a wuss,'_ The voice took on a scolding tone, _'you'll see them again it's not like you'll be gone forever. Besides if you don't go Nabiki is in a load of trouble to say the least. I mean you don't really have a choice do you? So why worry about something you can't change?'_

'You're right,' Akane shoved a shirt into the case with a little more force then necessary, 'I have to go anyways so there is no use freaking. Who knows maybe it will be fun!' Spirits considerably brightened, Akane whipped her eyes and continued packing.

'_That's the spirit. You go girl! You can do it!' _

'Ya!' Suddenly Akane paused, 'Wait a minute, am I carrying on a conversation with a voice in my head? That can't be good.'

……………………………………………………………………………

The automatic doors of the Shoto Ai opened with a whoosh, allowing Danni to emerge into the sunlight.

"Well now that all the preparations are done it's time to head over to that cat place." She smiled gleefully as she strode along. Her plan was going far quicker than even Danni herself had imagined. "Now, what was the name again? Cat House? No. Cat King? No. Catdonalds? No that's not right either."

Danni was so entranced in her thoughts that she didn't notice she was being followed. Swiftly the shadowed figure jumped from rooftop to rooftop until suddenly he leapt from his position toward the pondering girl.

"Shampoo!!!!"

That was the only sound Danni heard before she was tackled into a huge bear hug by some strange guy. Immediately he started chattering about something, Danni didn't even bother trying to figure out what the hell he was talking about.

'Well he has obviously mistaken me for someone else,' Danni thought mildly ignoring the boy's bizarre babblings. From what she could see, which wasn't much considering he was wrapped around her like a boa constrictor, he was kind of cute. He had long hair dark hair and angular eyes.

'Oh well I might as well have some fun with this.' She thought with a smirk. Laying a finger on his still moving lips, she silenced his babbling.

"Well, that was the most vigorous greeting I've ever received." Reaching up to the top of his head she pulled his glasses over his eyes. "But I think you might need these, sweetie." She finished with a jaunty wink that causes Mousse to flush.

Sensing he was going to bolt, Danni mentally frowned. She wasn't done playing yet. Draping her arms around the boys neck Danni blocked his exit, taking great pleasure of seeing him flush a darker pink.

"The name's Danni, but you can call me Shampoo if you REALLY want to." For emphasis she pushed her body closer to his.

Mousse was stone cold shocked. It wasn't the first time he had hugged a stranger he thought was Shampoo, but normally the person just hauled off and hit him or screamed. This girl's reaction, Danni she said her name was, was totally new, and quite frankly he was scared out of his mind. Mousse was used to chasing after a pretty girl but having one chase after him was nothing less than unsettling.

Looking up expectantly, Danni waited for him to reply with his name, but apparently his brain had shut down. Obviously she was going to have to take more direct measures.

"What's your name, or do you like me calling you sweetie?" Danni asked, her voice sucrose sweet.

"Mousse." He barked out sharply his face flushing even more.

'Check and mate.' It was time to deal the finishing blow. Danni leaned even closer placing her mouth against his ear. She could feel him shiver and begin to sweat.

"Yum Mousse, are you as sweet as your name." Each word, or more precisely the whisper of air accompanying every word, caused Mousse to shiver even harder. By the maroon color of his ears Danni realized he wasn't going to last much longer. Honestly she was surprised he had lasted as long as he had.

'Ok big finish,' she thought.

Sticking out her tongue she ran the tip agonizingly slowly up the part of his face closest to his ear.

"Yummy." She smirked.

The poor boy crumpled to the ground in a heap, eyes swirling and nose bleeding. Leaning over slightly Danni observed the prone boy with a tilt of her head.

"Looks like you'll be out for a while," she told him unconcernedly. Looking around at the empty street Danni reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle of water and a pack of Peppermint Tic-Tacs, out fluttered a slip of paper.

"Ah ha!," the brunette cried triumphantly, "that's where you went. 'The Cat Café' so that's what it was called."

Taking a gulp of her water she swilled it around in her mouth for a moment before spitting it on the ground before popping several Tic-Tacs into her mouth.

"Mmmmm, minty," Danni turned once more to the still unconscious boy.

"Might as well wait for you to wake up, but with my luck you probably don't even know where this stupid café is."

……………………………………………………………………

Irony makes me happy.

Sorry for taking so long to update. I started then my computer crashed and I lost everything. I will be updating more frequently.

In the next chapter Ranma makes a costly mistake. Run Ranma, run fast.

Ciao~


	8. Maintain Conciousness

**In Which Mousse Regains Consciousness and Ranma Makes a Big Mistake**

Disclaimer: I now have a job but still own very little so no suing OK?

I'm sorry I have taken so long to update but I finished this chapter a LONG time ago but my computer crashed and so I had to start over. Then I started school and I just fell behind. I promise to update far more often now. So please enjoy.

* * *

Mousse found himself floating gently in a sea of darkness. Pleasantly hazy the darkness left the bespectacled duck boy wondering, albeit a little dimly where in the name of Feng-du he was.

A sudden burst of frightening laughter broke out from the black shadows, it echoed from every direction. The sound was so dreadfully frightening in fact that Mousse tried to cover his ears to block out the sound. To his horror he found that he not only he not move his arms but that he had no arms to speak of, nor legs or torso or any body at all, only black. Holding down a panicked shriek, Mousse felt his breaths getting shorter and shorter as his panic increased. The haunting laughter was getting louder and more crazed.

In a flash of light Mousse's eyes jerked open to a blue cloudless sky. Groaning almost inaudibly, he lay staring at the sky for a moment, trying to quell the panic lodged in his throat and slow his racing heart. He didn't even have the strength to move his fingers, it seemed too much easier to lie in the warm sun.

'What a weird dream,' He though groggily, 'I think I've taken one too many shots to the head. At least that strange girl was just a dream too.'

"Oh good your awake." A shadowed head popped into Mousse's line of vision startling a surprised, and embarrassingly feminine, shriek. The sudden noise shocked a similar scream out of the stranger. Jumping to his feet Mousse looked around, seeing only an empty street he let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm right here." Chirped an amused voice behind him. Whirling around Mousse only narrowly suppressed a second shriek at the sight of the figure behind him. It was his dream, or more accurately nightmare, girl. Taking a hasty step back he stumbled over a small rock only barely keeping himself upright.

"Hey are you alright?" The girl took a step towards the nervous duck boy, "I was looking for someone to give me directions. You were the only person I saw but when I went ask, you just keeled over onto the ground. It almost gave me a heart attack. If you were out any longer I was going to call an ambulance."

Stunned, Mousse stood silent for a moment. This looked like the girl from before but she acted completely different. Maybe he had collapsed and dreamed the whole thing after all.

'With all the head shots I take on a daily basis,' Mousse mused grimly, 'I wouldn't be surprised if I had some brain injury.'

Noticing that the girl was still watching him, and apparently growing even more concerned by his silence Mousse realized that he still hadn't answered her question.

"Oh I'm fine. In any case with all the fighting that goes on around here ambulances don't come any more." Mouse couldn't help shrugging nonchalantly, "I mean after the 30th or so time that the paramedics came only to find that a mortally wounded fighter just got up and walked away, they figured this area just wasn't worth their time or sanity."

The shocked look on the brunette stranger's face showed she was not pacified in the least by his admission. In fact if anything she looked ever more worried.

"No really I'm fine. Didn't you say you were looking for directions?" asked the teen quickly, trying to change the subject, "Where do you need to go? I deliver takeout so I know this town backwards and forwards."

"Oh ya," Reaching into her pocket the girl pulled out a wrinkled slip of paper, "somewhere called the Cat Café. Ever heard of it?"

Mousses jaw dropped at the sheer coincidence of it all.

"The Cat Café?" he repeated.

"Yup. From the look on your face I take it you have heard of it."

"I should have," Mousse grinned wryly, "I live there."

His dry response elicited a sharp laugh from the girl.

"My isn't that convenient?" Pausing her tone changed from amused to worried, "Are you sure your okay? I mean, you went down pretty hard. Maybe we should see a …"

"I told you I am fine," interrupted Mousse sharply, flushing in recollection of his embarrassing fainting spell, "The Café is this way. We better get a move on if we want to make it before the lunch rush."

Taking off at a swift pace Mousse stalked in the direction of the Cat Café, in a hurry to get away from the embarrassing conversation.

* * *

Danni watched Mousses retreating back.

'I guess he believed me after all.' She thought mildly

'_Sucker_'

Noticing she was being left behind Danni sprinted to catch up with the fast moving Mousse.

"My names Danni by the way, what's yours?"

"Mousse."

"Like the dessert?"

"More like the hair product."

"Really? Interesting."

* * *

The walk to the Cat Café was a rather long one and before long Mousse and Danni were chatting about a multitude of topics. Despite their rocky start the pair was swiftly becoming good friends. Surprisingly they found they had a lot in common, an unnatural love of concealed weapons for example. Though Danni was still cynical of Mousses tastes in women and Mousse had no desire to try the 'contact lenses' Danni kept referring to.

Eventually though their journey came to an end and the pair stood outside the large doors. Despite the close proximity to lunch hour the shop was dark. After a moment searching Danni's gaze fell on a small sign in the window. She bent over to take a closer look.

"Mousse, the sign says closed" Tilting her head she gazed curiously at him for a moment, "How are we going to get in?"

Mousse couldn't help but stare at her for a moment, slightly bemused. Reaching into his pocket and pulled out a key.

"What part of 'I live here' confused you?" Reaching out to unlock the door, Mousse stuck his head inside and called out a greeting, "Shampoo? Cologne-sama? Anyone? I guess they're not here?"

Following Mousse into the Café, Danni watched amused as he stumbled around for a light switch. When he finally found it Danni was able to see the room in full. It was tidy and cozy but with an underlying stiffness and authority that made the coziness seem fake. Pausing only for a moment Danni continued to follow her guide towards a plain wooden door.

"So…" mumbled Mousse, suddenly shy, "Do you want to see my weapon's collection?"

The sparkle of pride and shy hope in the boy's eyes was almost too much for Danni to bear. Pausing for a moment Danni considered the options, she could stay and possibly make this nice guy's day, but on the other hand she also had a ton of other errands to see too. In the midst of debating Danni made the mistake of looking over at Mousse. The hopeful glances he kept shooting crushed her resolve.

"Of course I would love to see your collection." She smiled kindly. The look on Mousse's face caused Danni to flush, there was so much appreciation for such a simple gesture.

"Well what are we waiting for?" She cleared her throat to break the awkward moment, "Lead the way."

Mousse's face broke into a wide grin worthy of a child in a candy store. Instinctively and without much thought he reached out and grabbed the surprised girl's wrist and dragged her through the door and down the stairs.

'Hm, excitable little thing.' Danni thought mildly as she ran to keep up, 'I think with a little attention this boy has the potential to be a great martial artist.'

'_Oooh! Someone has a crush.'_

'I have no such thing,' The voice's mocking chuckle echoed in her head. 'Just look at the poor guy. He is obviously starved for attention.'

'_Not another stray,'_ It groaned, _'this is starting to become a bad habit with you.'_

'Would you shut…' Danni's response was cut short when she slammed head first into Mousse's back as he came to an abrupt stop. Rubbing her head Danni took a peek around the room and immediately her jaw dropped. The room was windowless and plain white, the cool temperature implied that it was under ground. What drew Danni's attention though was the fact that the room's four walls were literally covered in every weapon imaginable.

'This cannot be legal.' Danni thought dumbly.

Danni's shock and slight horror evaporated completely as she caught sight of a Nara period naginata that almost stopped her heart. In a flash she had it off the wall and was performing complex patterns, her prior alarm forgotten.

'Oh well,' she thought as she brought the weapon down in reverse chop, 'I was never much for rules anyways.'

* * *

Cologne did not like surprises, not at all. While surprising others was a wonderful tactic and an enjoyable pastime, at her advanced age surprises could be lethal and the elder had learned that to prevent them whenever possible. So to enter the Café she had closed and locked herself only to find some stranger sitting drinking tea, gave Cologne a very unpleasant feeling indeed.

The girl posture was straight but relaxed, like she was completely unperturbed. It rubbed Cologne the wrong way. Didn't this girl know she was in the home of a legendary martial arts master? Still it was probably best to at least pretend to be polite until the girl's intentions could be determined.

"Well hello dearie," Crooned Cologne n her sweetest old lady voice, "what brings you to my humble café."

Pulling out all the stops Cologne slowly hobbled over to the chair across from the stranger and dragged herself up onto it. The brunette teen rose from her chair and bowed emotionlessly to the older women.

"I have come to seek the council of the honorable Elder Cologne."

Cologne was taken slightly aback, she had not witnessed such respect since arriving in Japan. As an elder in her home village Cologne had been highly respected but in this new land she had been treated with the disrespect by many, including her own future-son-in-law. The elder couldn't help but puff up slightly, it felt good to be treated with the proper respect again.

"I am Elder Cologne, the one you seek." Cologne drew herself up to her full, unimpressive, height. "What do you need my child?"

The girl demeanor change completely in a split second. A wide feral grin stretched across her face. Any trace of respect that had been there was gone and in its place was mild amusement. Without waiting for an invitation the stranger resettled herself into her chair, her posture changed as well. Leaning back in the chair, one long leg casually draped over the other. She paused a moment, observing Cologne with keen eyes.

"My my, so you are the infamous Cologne," The girl leaned forward and smiled conspiratorially, "I thought you would be taller."

Before Cologne could respond the stranger pinned her with a look that was familiar, yet Cologne could not put her finger on why.

"From what I have heard Cologne-sama," She continued mockingly, "you have been a VERY bad girl."

At that very moment Cologne realized where she recognized the girl look from. It was the look a very large cat gave a very small mouse. She shivered. Whatever reason this girl had come for, Cologne realized, it would not end well, not well at all.

* * *

Packing for a trip one didn't want to go on was bad, the worst part, or so Akane thought.

'I stand corrected,' Akane shuffled her feet stifled by the awkward silence, 'waiting is the worst part.'

The entire Tendo family stood statue still in front of the gate. The only two missing were Genma and Ranma Saotome. Shortly after Danni left, the pair had disappeared and hadn't been seen since. The entire group could feel the hole left by the missing members but no one could bear to bring it up.

So they stood.

In silence.

So much silence.

"So," said Kasumi trying desperately to break the silence, "do you have everything you need Akane?"

"Yes," Akane's reply was short. The group returned to standing silently. Akane could feel herself getting progressively tenser until…

"Ok enough of this." The entire group nearly shot out of their skins as they turned to find the source of the voice.

From among the foliage of a tree a figure made its presence known, Danni dropped to the ground with boneless grace. Pinning the family with a disgusted glare, she sauntered over hands firmly placed on her hips.

"I give you plenty of time to sort out your emotional family crap and this is what you do? Stand around like a herd of cows?" Pinching two fingers on the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself down.

"Alright here is how this is going to work," Even with her patience stretched Danni tried to settle the problem as diplomatically as possible. "You are all going to have your little family talk and then we're going to the train station. Comprende?"

Throwing her hands in the air in disgust, Danni stalked of a short distance away to give the Tendo's some privacy.

"Geeze, you'd think I was going to throw her of a cliff with all the fuss they're making. It's just training for Christ sake."

"Wow," Nabiki raised an eyebrow at the grumbling girl's retreating back, "and I thought Ranma had no patience."

Kasumi shook her head knowingly at Danni's antics. She was trying to get rid of some of the pressure by being over dramatic.

Akane just sighed and picked up her bag.

"Well I guess this is goodbye for now. I'll see you guys in a year."

"You don't have to do this." Nabiki put her hand on Akane's shoulder. "I'm sure we can find some way out of this. Some loop-hole. Anything."

Akane shook her head. This time there was no way out. No clever plan. No last minute save. To be honest though Akane was kind of happy that there wasn't. This was the beginning of an adventure just for her.

"Well if you're sure." Kasumi picked up Akane's bag and handed it to her silently weeping father, "We better not keep your new teacher waiting any longer. She looks like she is about to have a fit."

And with that the Tendo family started down the street. Their silence no longer stifling but contented and for one girl, full of anticipation.

* * *

The trip to the train station was relatively uneventful and the group made it to platform 12 with time to spare.

Kasumi spent her time alternating between comforting their still distraught father and chatting with Akane. Nabiki was making suspicious calls in her cell, speaking to whoever was on the other end in a hushed voice. Danni just stood sipping a glass of ice water she had picked up at the concession stand.

Ranma and Mr. Saotome were still nowhere to be found.

Danni sighed and put down her cup on a nearby table. She had been hoping that Ranma would come to see Akane off but it looked like he was a no show and it was time to get on the train.

As she opened her mouth to inform the other girl, a voice rang out drawing the entire family's attention.

"Akane!" It was Ranma standing atop the station roof. Danni couldn't help shaking her head. Could the boy be any more dramatic?

"Akane, you can't go with her."

Akane put her hand on her hips and glared coldly at Ranma.

"And why not? Who are you to tell me what I can and can't do?"

"Because she isn't what you think she is." Ranma pulled a bucket from seemingly out of nowhere, "And I can prove it."

Without any warning Ranma threw the steaming contents of the bucket over Danni's head. When the steam cleared the Tendo family stood gaping at the sight before them.

* * *

YAY cliffhanger! I promise to update the next chapter in the next week or so TTFN and please keep reading. Thanks to all the people who reviewed me to remind me to keep updating. I LOVE Reviews.


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